LPMs Getting Mixed Reaction in Twin Cities

As is often the case with new LPM markets, a couple stations are happy with the new young-skewing Nielsen metrics in the Twin Cities, and a couple stations say the numbers are completely out of whack. 

Minneapolis-St. Paul officially launched LPMs Aug. 28, reports the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, tapping 600 households to be Nielsen families. KMSP and KARE say the LPMs are more accurate and dependable than their predecessors. 

KSTP and WCCO say the numbers are loopy. 

Susan Adams Loyd, WCCO general manager, agrees, saying that when the two systems were running side by side, the differences were "night and day."

"It is really out of whack," Loyd said. "We don’t believe it’s representative of viewing patterns in the marketplace."

Loyd is frustrated because she feels she doesn’t have the "right information" to give the station’s advertisers.

KSTP is an ABC affiliate and WCCO a CBS. 

Among the happy campers, KMSP is a Fox and KARE an NBC.